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WJC: Attendance

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Having gone to the Canada-Finland game, the bell centre looked 85-90% full. This was the first decent game played at the Bell Centre. Canada played really well against the Slovaks but that was no contest. The Finns finally came out flying and the two teams played a great game. This also finally got the fans going. This was the first game with a good atmosphere in which "Go Canada Go" chants were rampant. Had a blast and I can't wait to experience my first USA-Canada NYE game.
 
have been to 4 games so far
all soft/boring so far
going tomorrow

scalpers asking 400$-600$ in reds minimum each
stub hub at 350 USD minimum each + services charge

will be sold out and rocking for first time tommorow

HC will have justified everything prior
 
FuriousSenator said:
haha this. Toronto isn't exactly a mecca of sell outs....Some might say it's a Leafs town, not a sports town. :sarcasm:

I gotta say I agree with most of the Montrealer sentiment on here. Those prices are ridiculous for an U-20 tournament no one except Canadians really care about in a sport that is globally niche at best... If it was a soccer or basketball tournament where global interest was higher, maybe..

I don't think I'd be able to consciously pay those prices, even to see Team Canada win. Hell there isn't that much global prestige involved. I wouldn't even be able to brag to anyone from any other participating country; they'd have no clue what I was talking about! :laugh:
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I fully agree with the ticket price gouging being the main reason for many not to buy tickets, even with Montreal lacking a junior hockey culture.

One thing that would drive me INSANE is if I bought tickets at these prices to a game, then sat next to people who "just came because we got free tickets from work", which seems to be about 1/3 to 1/2 of the building. Because of that, I'd never pay these prices.

I paid $150 a ticket to go to the 2009 gold medal game in Ottawa. Granted, they were nosebleeds, but I deemed that to be a fair price given the circumstance. I'd never pay that for a non-medal round game.

In regards to no one but Canadians caring about the tournament, I'm quite certain many folks in Finland, Sweden and Russia would know the goings-on. I'm not denying hockey is a niche sport, but grouping basketball with soccer on the global interest scale is laughable.
 
DrunkUncleDenis said:
I fully agree with the ticket price gouging being the main reason for many not to buy tickets, even with Montreal lacking a junior hockey culture.

One thing that would drive me INSANE is if I bought tickets at these prices to a game, then sat next to people who "just came because we got free tickets from work", which seems to be about 1/3 to 1/2 of the building. Because of that, I'd never pay these prices.

I paid $150 a ticket to go to the 2009 gold medal game in Ottawa. Granted, they were nosebleeds, but I deemed that to be a fair price given the circumstance. I'd never pay that for a non-medal round game.

In regards to no one but Canadians caring about the tournament, I'm quite certain many folks in Finland, Sweden and Russia would know the goings-on. I'm not denying hockey is a niche sport, but grouping basketball with soccer on the global interest scale is laughable.
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Good luck finding any mention of the tournament in those countries' newspapers right now. Even in the English language news sources Daniel Alfredsson get's more coverage than the WJs (nothing). It was different last year because the tournament was in Europe; makes it easier for people to care. This is why I don't understand the arguments that the tourney should always be in Canada.....

As to your comment about basketball....it's widely considered the 2nd/third most popular sport on the planet.

http://sporteology.com/top-10-popular-sports-world/

http://mostpopularsports.net/in-the-world

Ice hockey doesn't even come close.
 
Canadian Finn said:
It is true.

The ACC is not as loud, except on a Saturday night.

It is also true that the ACC is filled with business folks.

I'm one of those business folks. I wish I could dress up in my Leafs gear, get trashed, and cheer for every little play.

However, many of us live in a business world, and we have clients. It's not ok to drop a grand on a hockey game (which include free tickets), including dinner, and not get the deal done. My boss will expect an update the next day.

I don't like golf. So if I can get some business done at a Leafs game - so be it.

I'm sorry for those out there who feel a father and his son should be in my seats....and I'm sorry that if my client feels his time is better spend in the Platinum lounge drinking, instead of being at our seats for puck drop, thats where I'll be.

That is my job.

And I kinda like a job that allows me to go to hockey games.

Some folks will never get it.

But Toronto does.
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...sure wish the corp you suits work for couldn't just write off the cost of the tickets/dinner/drinks as a "business" expense. It angers many people.
 
Urbanskog said:
Look, another soccer fascist.

Can you think of a winter sport that has expanded to areas with no cold climate better than hockey?
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In the opinion of HFboards every expansion to warm climates has been a total disaster of epic proportions and we must return every hockey team to its northern home in Canada. :sarcasm:

Don't get me wrong, I like hockey and if it becomes more popular that's great. I'm just pointing out the hypocrisy of expecting people to shell out top dollars for a tournament few in the world know or care about.

It's one of those, if a bear wins a hockey game in the woods and no one hears, did it happen (or why bother making a big fuss over it) type deals methinks.
 
FuriousSenator said:
In the opinion of HFboards every expansion to warm climates has been a total disaster of epic proportions and we must return every hockey team to its northern home in Canada. :sarcasm:

Don't get me wrong, I like hockey and if it becomes more popular that's great. I'm just pointing out the hypocrisy of expecting people to shell out top dollars for a tournament few in the world know or care about.

It's one of those, if a bear wins a hockey game in the woods and no one hears, did it happen (or why bother making a big fuss over it) type deals methinks.
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The thing is, the hockey culture is different in North America and Europe. When it comes to international tournaments, Europeans primarily care about the senior tournaments whereas there's a lot of buzz around the WJC in Canada.

For example, hockey is by far the biggest sport in Finland, yet there's not a lot of hype around the WJC... unless we win gold.
 
Ih8theislanders said:
Hockey Canda doesn't set the secondary-market prices.
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they do on the ticket exchanges. for Montreal they wouldn't let people sell for less than what they thought the ticket was worth (minimum $180 for lower bowl Canada games) and flipped it for Toronto where you couldn't price over a certain amount.

smart sellers posted on stubhub.
 
and those hard earned tax dollars ensure there are still some high(er) paying salary jobs out there, which then contribute back to the economy through income tax....for a net gain to the tax base.

but I'm sure this understanding is not lost on "most" of you.

anyway, now we are truly getting off topic.
 
Melnyks Mirage said:
Hockey Canada or whomever is responsible for sales totally misjudged interest, and it does not help that, from what I see, there is not an "It Guy" from Montréal or Québec on the Canadian team. If there were a Daigle or Fichaud or whomever, people would buy to see him. Of that I am sure. Something to keep in mind for 2017 folks that build team, add a native son and you will sell more tickets!
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I really don't think you could point to player personnel being a problem. McDavid is the most hyped prospect since Crosby and he's there. One of Canada's starting goalies is from the area and a Habs pick to boot. Plus there's Duclair, Gauthier and Morin. The local talent is there. If Montreal needs the perfect storm of the presence of local generational talent to get them out to the games, then why even bother?
 
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hototogisu said:
I really don't think you could point to player personnel being a problem. MacDavid is the most hyped prospect since Crosby and he's there. One of Canada's starting goalies is from the area and a Habs pick to boot. Plus there's Duclair, Gauthier and Morin. The local talent is there. If Montreal needs the perfect storm of the presence of generational talent to get them out to the games, then why even bother?
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Good point about Fucale. Hockey Canada should have marketed that connection with the Habs. I mean, if they're going to try and fleece us, at least make an effort to draw us in.

Informed Habs fans know he's there, though, so why the empty seats? We're right back to money again I'm guessing. A little less expensive and the sellouts would have been there. Having said that, today should be sold out. There are 300 million hockey fans dying to spend, just across that border - right? :sarcasm:
 
For a country where hockey has been called part of their 'culture', attendance has been very poor. Maybe it is over saturation of hosting the thing every two years. Which is a bit much for my liking anyhow.
 
Davebo said:
Good point about Fucale. Hockey Canada should have marketed that connection with the Habs. I mean, if they're going to try and fleece us, at least make an effort to draw us in.

Informed Habs fans know he's there, though, so why the empty seats? We're right back to money again I'm guessing. A little less expensive and the sellouts would have been there. Having said that, today should be sold out. There are 300 million hockey fans dying to spend, just across that border - right? :sarcasm:
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Part of the problem with that is that, because the teams finalize their rosters so late, you can't use any of the current players to promote the team. For example, even though Fucale was a 99.9% lock to make the team, Hockey Canada can't promise he'll be there before the roster is submitted and it's 100% confirmed that he's on the team. Which only happens a week before the tournament starts.

They've done a decent job of pushing the history of the WJC as it relates to the Habs (e.g. banners downtown featuring pictures of Price and Subban from their WJCs) but their hands are tied in terms of promoting the current roster.

The other thing is that the people who attend the games in the reds (i.e. where it looks the most empty on TV) are not the same ones who know or care about Habs draft picks. Quite a few people I've talked to from Montreal who attended the games out of casual interest (got a cheap ticket, were invited by a friend, etc) weren't even aware that Fucale is a Habs pick. That was a little alarming to me in terms of the average Montreal's general awareness/interest level, when people don't even know Canada's starter could be playing for the hometown team in a few years.

Contrast that with my seats up in the nosebleeds which is reasonably full (it was even pretty busy for GER/SVK last night to my surprise) and where people cheer every time Reway or Lehkonen's name is announced because they know they're Habs prospects.
 
if the game is sold out, would it break a record for highest attendance for a wjc game? montreal has the 2nd largest arena in the NHL i believe, no?
 
Sleight Of Hand said:
For a country where hockey has been called part of their 'culture', attendance has been very poor. Maybe it is over saturation of hosting the thing every two years. Which is a bit much for my liking anyhow.
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Canada is the only Country that can host with success, besides the boarder cities.

Look how many fans were at the Ufa tourney.
 
hototogisu said:
Part of the problem with that is that, because the teams finalize their rosters so late, you can't use any of the current players to promote the team. For example, even though Fucale was a 99.9% lock to make the team, Hockey Canada can't promise he'll be there before the roster is submitted and it's 100% confirmed that he's on the team. Which only happens a week before the tournament starts.
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I don't see why they couldn't...he was a lock to make the team. IMO its no different than say, the Rogers Cup tennis tournament advertising that all the top guys will be there when its a general certainty that at least one of them will drop out with an injury (or "injury").
 
5 hours before puck drop.

Hundreds of empty seats in the lower bowl remain.

No ''free'' tickets tonight to anyone.

They want to sell them at those prices.

Hopefully remains empty so they learn a lesson.

This coming to Montreal is the best thing to happen to this tournament, this **** doesn't work, it's Junior Hockey, this is not the Olympics.
 
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